Since 2004, The Agonist has released 3 separate full-length albums. In March of 2014, they announced a lineup change and founding member Alissa White-Gluz left to join the band Arch Enemy. Vicky Psarakis then took center stage as The Agonist's lead vocals. Eye of Providence is their newest release and will be available on February 14th, 2015. The band has really come a long way since "business suits and combat boots", which was also their debut music video. Long journeys, though, are not always kind.
When listening to the new album, Eye of Providence, it feels is as if an entire new band is here. It's quite a drastic step in a different direction. Some fans will praise this change, while other will despise it.
The changes consist of not only a drastic vocal adjustment now fronted by Vicky Psarakis, but also the guitar segments which have morphed into a melodic structured composition that is only memorable through a handful of solos. The production on this album is much cleaner sounding, but this only accentuates the mediocre guitar and drumming performance. The song structures are also more simple and repetitive, often incorporating verses book-ended by a chorus. These observations do not automatically make this a bad album though.
The most notable observation is that the vocals continue to be the centerpiece of the band, even with the lineup change. In fact, Vicky's clean vocals are far superior than their previous vocalist. Unfortunately, this ability seems to be the crutch as clean vocals are prominently present through the album. It's safe to assume that over 70% of the vocals are clean singing. Yes it's an excellent voice, but it leaves the listener wanting some diversity, especially knowing where the band came from. When the screaming does commence, it's not bad. This prompts the idea of this band attempting to move in a different direction and possibly become more mainstream by abandoning the screaming.
The guitar seems to maybe have a different effect to it. It seems as if the effects are not as down tuned and present a more classic metal sound. This more accessible sound, coupled with the new style of vocals, will please a larger portion of new fans, but will also turn older fans away as these songs are not nearly as heavy as their previous work. The guitar solos are abundant, but feel as if they are thrown in as more of a token and only last a few seconds.
The best song by far is "Gates of Horn and Ivory". "My Witness, Your Victim" and "I Endeavor" are two more decent songs, but the majority of the album does not possess anything as unique or intrinsic as these songs do. After several plays only those three songs made a name for themselves. After 10 more spins, it was difficult to pay attention too. It's not that I did not like this album, it has its moments, but it certainly lacks more moments than it has. It's a good variety when it comes to listening to all types of metal, but for seasoned listeners of metal who enjoy the true essence and creativity of metal, there is much to be desired.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urcLhku0I7Y[/youtube]
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